This year, I have chosen Mila Kunis as Lily/The Black Swan in Black Swan as my Supporting Actress of 2010. Before reading any further into this post I have to warn you that their will be spoilers here, and so if you have not seen the film, I HIGHLY recommend you go out and watch it immediately/you stop reading this post until you do.
I have to admit, I have been taken with Kunis for quite some time, and so when I first heard that she was teaming with Darren Aronofsky, you could say I was a little bit ecstatic. I've always thought Kunis had a lot of charisma, likability and charm, so I was happy to see that Aronofsky had used all of her natural abilities to their fullest extent.
What I liked most about this performance was the way that Kunis chose to express the character's physicality. A simple smile or flicker of her eyes (and what eyes they are!) are evocative enough to represent Lily's sexuality and dark side. Lily's movements and her expressions all call forth a seductive darkness that plays in direct contrast to Natalie Portman's Nina/The White Swan. It was vital to the story that the character Lily is sensual enough to rival Nina's purity and draw her into trying to express that sensuality herself in her dancing. I would argue that Kunis leaves more of an impression with her body language than Portman does. In a few scenes we can already tell what the character of Lily is like though her general demeanor around the company and especially through her dancing (which I think would have come across even without Vincent Cassel's voice telling us so).
Lily is a free spirit, willing to do what she wants and say what she feels, I mean she goes out to a restaurant and orders a cheeseburger! In the world of ballet where the upkeep of bodies is so important what kind of ballerina would do that? Lily of course. Kunis makes these kinds of choices believable which is why we are so drawn to the character, and why Nina is so bewitched yet jealous of her. She somehow possesses the freedom to make her own choices and essentially live her own life outside of the ballet company, and that is all due to the fact that Kunis has created a character layered with so many interesting subtleties that it is easy to imagine a whole world outside of the film in which Lily is living her own life. Just watch the scene at the restaurant, where Kunis goes everywhere from concerned to devilish in mere moments. I must say all of that work is pretty impressive given the fact that the film is really the Natalie Portman show.
It would have been easy to make this character a one-note cliché, but to Kunis' credit, she ground Lily in reality. Much like her dancing in the film, Kunis brings a fresh sense of naturalism to the role, making it look effortless and thus making her fascinating to watch in contrast to Portman. Another thing that I loved about Kunis was the real levity she brought to the work that she did in the film. She delivers all of the films best and most memorable lines does with such wit and good humour ("Was I good?"). It offers a nice counterpoint to all of the film's difficult and heavy scenes, which I think is essential.
Kunis understands that Lily is the catalyst for Nina's ultimate transformation, and she plays her so well that when Nina delivers her performance the audience can clearly see that Lily has left her mark on Nina as well as ourselves. I think that is what the job called for, and Kunis has clearly delivered on all fronts. The is why she is my choice for the best Supporting Actress of 2010, and my entry into StinkyLulu's 2010 blog-a-thon.
-Cigarettes
[This post is part of the Supporting Actress Class of 2010 blog-a-thon happening over at StinkyLulu. You should head on over there if you haven't already and check out more of the entries from all the other bloggers.]
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Mila Kunis in Black Swan
Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon 2010!
Hey everyone! (If there is any still left out there...) This is an announcement that Popcorn and Cigarettes is coming out of semi-retirement in order to participate in StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon. If you have a blog of your own (it doesn't matter what the usual subject of your blog is) you can find out all of the details on how to submit your own entry right here!
So if you are as excited as I am, come back to the blog tomorrow and read who I picked for my Supporting Actress of 2010!
You can also find my past entries for 2009 (here) and 2008 (here). Whoever my choice is tomorrow, she will definitely be in good company.
On a sidenote, I thought that this was an interesting tidbit, both Rinko Kikuchi and Julianne Moore, my two choices for previous Supporting Actress Blog-a-thons were both muses to Tom Ford and both walked the catwalk in his latest women's wear collection. The video is below if you are interested!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Julianne Moore in A Single Man
Julianne Moore's Charley from Tom Ford's A Single Man is my choice for StinkyLulu's annual Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon. Now I realize that the goal is to paint a portrait of the supporting actresses of 2009 that is both broad and diverse, but I couldn't help myself and I ended up choosing a rather popular choice. I contemplated many actresses who could have taken this spot, but I found myself always coming back to this performance as my favourite supporting actress of the past year.
One of the reasons I picked Julianne's performance is because her character Charley has no idea what movie she is in. Now, I realize that sounds like a terrible reason to chose a supporting actress but hear me out. Normally, I would think that a performance that plays on another level than any of the other characters would be terrible and totally detrimental to a film. However, this is a special circumstance because not only is Charley in the hands of Julianne Moore, but also because Charley also doesn't fit in with the world around her. She is loud, boisterous, and absolutely charming. As far as Charley is concerned, the world revolves around HER.
A Single Man (if you couldn't already figure it out by the title) is a story centered around Colin Firth's character George, and Charley is George's best friend. Charley does get some minor screen time during the first half of the film; her reaction to George sobbing at her door, or a phone call to George asking him to bring gin to her dinner party, but it is during the second half of the film (more specifically the aforementioned dinner party scene) that Charley really gets her chance to shine.
As the scene unfolds in front of you, it is obvious that these two friends have been comforting each other for a long time. George because of his lover's death, and Charley because of her failed marriage. What separates this party from all of the others these two must have shared over the many years they have known each other, is that Charley reveals how lonely and desperate she truly is, she reveals a hidden part of herself to George. Charley is not one to be dismissed easily, being the center of attention is where she is the most comfortable. However, the years of being ignored by both her ex-husband and her children, have created a deep desire to be loved and noticed. When George does not reciprocate the feelings that Charley lays down, Charley lets loose.
This whole dinner sequence is Moore's to chew, and she does just that. Between the laughs, the smoke, the booze, and the hair, Moore creates a window into the life of Charley in just mere moments. It is amazing that Moore can tap into this woman's loneliness and sadness, but also into her magnetic charisma and natural good humor. It is during these moments that I forgot that the film was about George, because when Moore was onscreen it was ALL about Charley (and to be honest I wouldn't have it any other way).
I don't want to spoil any more of the film than I have to, so that's all I am going to say about this performance. Hopefully reading this entry gives some incentive to those of you reading this post who have yet to watch A Single Man, to get out there and support this film.
-Cigarettes
[This post is part of the Supporting Actress Class of 2009 blog-a-thon happening over at StinkyLulu. You should head on over there if you haven't already and check out more of the entries from all the other bloggers.]
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
StinyLulu's Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon Class of 2009
So just like last year, Popcorn and Cigarettes will be participating in StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon.
It was a lot of fun to see who supported who last year, and so I am excited to be doing it again. Unfortunately, Rinko Kikuchi will have to sit this year out (click here to see my post on her performance from last year).
Just like last year, any blog may participate, so even blogs that aren't focused on film may enter their own posts! Click here for all of the information on how to enter. I highly recommend you enter, not only because it is a lot of fun, but also because it is great to write about highly deserving performances that probably do not get as much recognition as they deserve.
See you on January 17, 2010!
-Cigarettes
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Rinko Kikuchi in The Brothers Bloom
A little side-note before we begin. The film The Brothers Bloom was originally supposed to be released on October 3rd, 2008, but Summit Entertainment in their infinite wisdom, decided to push back the release date to December 19, 2008. It was then delayed again from December to May 15, 2009 (limited) and May 29, 2008 (wide). I was fortunate enough to catch this gem at the Toronto International Film Festival, and so I hope all of you readers can bear with me while I gush about a supporting actress that no one else has likely seen. One of the reasons I chose Rinko (other than her being the most memorable supporting actress I've seen in 2008), is because I hope that this post will convince at least one reader to go out and see this film (and wonderful performance) when it does eventually come out in theatres. I will try to keep this post as spoiler free as possible.
Rinko Kikuchi plays Bang Bang, superb con artist and accomplice to the Brothers Bloom. The job that is given to her by director Rian Johnson is not an easy one. She has to share the screen with the likes of Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, and Mark Ruffulo, not to mention that her character is almost completely silent throughout the film. However, above all of this she still manages to steal the show right out from under them.
As I said before the character is almost completely silent throughout the film (territory I'm sure Ms. Kikuchi is familiar with), and Rinko must completely rely on glances, facial expressions, and gestures to express anything and everything she is feeling. Of course Rinko goes far beyond physical mannerisms and nuances, she creates a being that seems to be operating on a level higher than any of the con men in their troupe, and perhaps the audience as well. I am almost certain that Bang Bang is in absolute control of almost every situation that she is put in, and is generally able to maintain her composure at all times. This could have been a problem with a less talented actress because playing a character that always maintains composure and sees and knows everything, could have turned out quite dull. Lucky for us Rinko knows how to maximize her opportunities.
Although Bang Bang seems to be completely capable to do anything and everything, Rinko plays her with a certain sense of improvisation and openness. Any task that looks as though it required much planning and construction seems to be done on a complete whim by Bang Bang. This leaves a sense of playfulness when we see her onscreen that keeps the audience wondering what she will do next. When we see her working alongside the other actors, she adds touches of humor to every scene through her actions and reactions, which elevates and adds dimensions to the scenes she is in. She gives off energy that the other actors are clearly aware of and react to, which is generally the job of a supporting actress, no?
There is also the fact that Bang Bang is so damn cool. Just take a look at her wardrobe. She is easily the most awesome looking con man alive. This part could have been played in a way that made the character completely cold and inorganic, but Rinko plays her in such a way that even if the audience isn't playing at the same level as Bang Bang, we still end up wanting to know her or be friends with her. Or be her.
I know I left the movie theatre after the screening of The Brothers Bloom thanking whoever it was who had the great idea of casting Rinko Kikuchi in this part. I'm sure when you see her performance, you will be thinking the same thing.
- Cigarettes
[This post is part of the Supporting Actress Class of 2008 blog-a-thon happening over at StinkyLulu. You should head on over there if you haven't already and check out more of the entries from all the other bloggers. I know that's where I'll be.]
Friday, January 2, 2009
A Year in 4 Minutes
Above is a video made by Matt Shapiro (aka oyguvaltshappy) which pieces together some great moments from films that came out in 2008 (if you like the video above, you can also find his video chronicling 2007 here). I'm posting this video for a few reasons. First of all, I am a sap for this kind of thing so I thought I would share it with you all. Secondly it is also an easy way to inform you guys that a huge post about what I am looking forward to in 2009, is on its way shortly.
Lastly, this post is also here to remind any of you readers out there who might be interested that I will be participating in StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress blog-a-thon in a mere two days! So make sure you stick around long enough to see that. All of the details about the blog-a-thon can be found in my previous post or at the StinkyLulu's blog here.
P.S. If you have a blog too, you should also think about participating. It doesn't matter what the focus of your blog is, as long as you can dedicate one of your posts to a supporting actress in 2008. Think about it.
-Cigarettes
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Coming Soon
Nathaniel over at The Film Experience created this hilarious little teaser trailer for the upcoming Supporting Actress blog-a-thon that is happening over at StinkyLulu. I for one will be participating and creating a special little post about a supporting actress I think deserves some recognition this year. If you want to know who it is, you are just going to have to wait until January 4, 2009.
So until then!
P.S. If you wish to participate, you can go here to see all of the details. Any blog (it doesn't have to be a movie blog) can participate, so why not? Here are the links for The Class of 2006 and The Class of 2007.
P.P.S. I love Amy Adams in that trailer!!
-Cigarettes
[Source The Film Experience]
